Decent debut effort here from these Canadian death/thrash metallers who call themselves Obsydian. The Grotesque Presage mixes the pummeling brutality of classic era Death with the raucous frenzy of Testament, Heathen, Exodus, and Slayer, the end result being a ferocious collection of guitar driven riff mongers that will prompt plenty of repeat listens.
The duo of Marc Mackenzie (who also is the lead vocalist) & Mitch Dragatis churn out plenty of addictive riffage throughout The Grotesque Presage, starting right from the get-go of "Blastocyst Assassination" and "Indoctrinaled", a 1-2 punch that will instantly put you in the extreme metal mood. Drummer Justin Mashall is at his blasting best on the speedy juggernaut "The Apocrypha", a relentless thrash attack with crazed riffing and screaming vocals. Other hot tracks include the chugging gallop of "The Rebirth", the Death-meets-Arsis flavored "Poison Of The Pious", and the near 9-minute instrumental epic "The Grotesque Presage", a mammoth piece littered with tasty guitar harmonies, crazy rhythms, and moments of gentle atmosphere.
The only negative you can really say about this CD is that a bunch of the tunes tend to follow a similar pattern and lack variety. If more of the elements that make up the instrumental title track were found throughout the album, it would be that much more of a success. Overall though this is a solid mix of death metal and thrash, which will easily appeal to lovers of guitar driven extreme metal.
Track Listing
1.Blastocyst Assassination
2.Indoctrinaled
3.The Apocrypha
4.Seeds Of Desecration
5.Divine Sedition
6.The Rebirth
7.Poison Of The Pious
8.Apologue Of The Wicked
9.The Grotesque Presage
10.Slaves To The Resistance
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
